I really wanted an over the range microwave oven. We needed more counter space in our kitchen. This went with all the other Whirlpool Gold appliances we had purchased for the kitchen. So it seemed fitting that we would stay with the brand. My husband likes to pick the more middle priced options so I went alond. It cooks fine, but is not durable at all! When I opened the cabinet above the stove a bottle of spices fell out and hit the top of the microwave. The top piece is plastic and it split right in half! I couldn't believe it. That's all it took to break it. It didn't even mess up the stove when it fell but it tore up the microwave. I have also noticed that the silver that is close to the glass window is splitting. Everytime I clean it the paper towels get stuck in it. This is just poor quality. I have never had a microwave that the piece splits at the window. It looks terrible and there is nothing I can do to fix it. The inside is easy to clean. The only thing I like about this is that it is a microwave and actually cooks ok. I like the popcorn sensing feature but everything else is just ok. We spent way too much on this and i would like to start all over again in finding new appliances for the kitchen. I will do my research next time before I spend so much money on stinky appliances. Performance It cooks fine, just made poorly aesthetically. Poor plastic construction. Should be all steel. Settings/Features It would be nice if I knew how to use it properly. I would have to get out the book to check it out and use all the features that it has. Ease of Cleaning Stainless steel is hard to clean and with the broken parts the paper towels get stuck in that part. The inside is easy to clean. Ease of Use Again, I need to read the whole book to get the full benefits of it, but it is made so poorly that I just want to replace it. Durability Broken top, made of plastic, the rest is ok. The front is poorly made, not sure why it is splitting. But I have never seen this on a microwave. Design The design is fine, just made of poor quality. Not sure why they didn't use all stainless steel.

sixhalls

Smithfield, VA

Have a brand new home with like appliances.  Not sure if this is how all over-the-stove microwaves are, but the biggest complaint is that there are gaps that allow air free-flowing on all sides; therefore, EVERY time we cook, it sets off the smoke detector!  That said, the actual functions of this Whirlpool microwave are good.  It has quick, easy-to-read buttons, though it seems to need a "pause" button, where you can maintain the time if you need to check on the microwaved item rather than having to cancel and start over.  Truly, all that's really needed on a microwave are popcorn and number buttons, but there's always additional bells and whistles.  The auto pizza button is helpful because it reheats the pizza slowly, but sometimes it does still over-do the heat.  In all, it's a pretty powerful microwave that does an above average job, but the lack of secure seal between the sides (we also had the builder re-install it, but to no avail) for ventilation is really horrible and defeats the purpose of having an above-the-stove microwave that is supposed to double as exhaust.  Guess I expected a little more with a name like Whirlpool.

DrLadybug

Richland, WA